Motor vehicle control system



July 18, 1933. ,..J J. GARDNER 1,918,465

' MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM I Filed Feb. 2:5. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -1NVENTOR.

& ATTORNEYS,

y 1933. J. J. GARDNER 1,918,465

MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL SYSTEM Filed Feb. 23, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

JJQJG f C WIILATTORNEE. I

Patented July 1a, 1933 I i UNITED 1 STATES IOHN J. GARDNER, OF NEW YORK, Y.

aroma vm'ncnr. .coNrnoL sYs'rmr Application fled February 23, 1928. Serial No. 348,088.

[This invention is a novel motor vehicle- A further feature isa. convenient'means control system, adapted especially for road vehicles and preferably operating through fluid pressure or hydraulic connections with 5 respect to the braking control-of the vehicle. The field of utility of the present invention is coextensive with my prior Patent No; 1,682,781, issued September 4, 1928. The present invention is adapted especi- 1 all'y for use with the standard hydraulic braking systems in which the brake pedal operates a hydraulic pump from which pipe lines extend to the individual brakes, each having a hydraulic actuator or cylinder and piston, a system of springs operating to remove the braking pressure at each brake and to r-. store the hydraulic conditions and foot pedal when released. Characteristic of modern motor vehicles is the employment of differential gearing at the rear axle for transmitting the drive to the rear wheels, this being done in such a manner that if one rear wheel is substantially free there will be no effective drive upon the other, forwhich reason when one rear wheel drops into a slippery spot, where it can rotate without grip or traction, the vehicle is deprived of the power of drive at either wheel. This. defect iscorrected by my prior patent and the present invention. z

' The general objects ofthe present invention are to provide a control system which will bean improvement on myprior patent in respect to simplification, greater ruggedness, increased effectiveness and convemence,

and reduced cost of construction. A particular object is the im rovement of the selective control of the raking of the vehicle, preferably in a manner to permit either one '40 of the rear wheel brakes to be rendered operative, while, the other three brakes are inoperative, so that when one rear wheel loses its tractive power by slippage it can be held against rotation so that the other rear wheel can be drivento advance the vehicle out of the difficulty.

A further object and feature of this in-..

. which can only be wit rative of locking the selective'devices in such position that the several brakes and the i mtion are inoperative, namelg, by means 0 a key, drawn in such posfso" tion. This insures maximum safety against theft in that the single lockingoperation both renders the motor inoperative and'renders all of the service brakes inoperative, but not the parking brakes.

Other ob ects and advantages of the pres-. ent invention will be explained in the hereinafter following description. of an illustrative embodiment thereof-or will be understood to those conversant with'the. subject. To'the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel'motor vehicle control system, and the novel features of 'combination, coordination, arrangement, ',operation and construction herein illustrated or described.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a central cross section of the central or control portion of the apparatus of the present invention. h

Fig. 2 is a front view of a. portion of Fig? 1 taken partly in section on the line 2-2 of Fig-1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of a detail taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representat1on of the entire apparatus, including-the b ing system of a motor vehicle with its perating pedal, control portion, etc.

Fig. 5, on a smaller scale than Fig. 1, 1s a section taken on the line 5-,5 of Fig. 1-

with the rotary valve disk broken away to show the fixed ports. w I Fig. 6 is a rear elevation, that is to say seen from the right side of Fig. 1 whereat as the dial faces'the driver of the vehicle.

Fi 7 to 11 are views similar to Fig. 5, but s owing also the rotary valve disk, in diiferent ositions in the respective figures.

The ve icle is not herein illustrated except as to certain general arts.. The III- strument board or dash 15 is seen in Figs.

1 and 4. Near its foot is shown the brake pedal 16 which operates through a piston I rod 17 and cylinder 18 to compress or force light oil or other hydraulic fluid through a. connecting pipe 19 to the central vesselor distributing chamber 20, which may be suitably mounted, for example upon the instrument board, or somewhat to thefront no ator a for the right rear wheel brake a which may comprise anexpandin shoe or ring engaging the inside surface 0 aflange 0* attached to the wheel. Similarly the fixed port I) connects by pipe I)" to hydraulic motor I) actuating the brake b cooperating with the flange b of the left rear wheel. The port 0 is connected by pipes 0 to the motors c of the brakes 0*"? actin on the flanges a of the front wheels. hen the ports were all open it is manifest that the depression of the foot pedal, creating hydraulic pressure, would cause the actuation of all. four brake motors and the application of all of the brakes.- It is to be understood, in the case of the front wheel brakes, thata portion of the pipe lines 0' must be flexible to admit of the steering movements of the wheels.

The control of the action is throu h the hydraulic distributor or vessel 20. his is shown as generallycircular, with a front wall 21 containing the ports (1/, b and c, and

a cylindrical wall 22, the rear end being closed by a circular wall 23 threaded and screwed into place with provision against leakage of liquid. The distributor box may be mounted 1n a fixed position in front ofthe dash 15. Its wall 22 is for this purpose shown formed with three ears 24 perforated to receive bolts25 which pass also through the ears 26 of a fixed spider or disk 27 and through spacing sleeves 28 bearing against the dash 15. Therear heads of the bolts are shown exterior to the dash and arranged to hold in place the dial 29 cooperatlng with the index or pointer to be' described.

The multiple control of the three portsa, b and c is herein effected by a rotary valve or disk 31. This has a series of ports '0, w, :v, 2 located and spaced in a articular manner to cooperate with the xed ports a, b and a, so that by setting the disk in different rotary positions substantially any desired control of the liquid flow and pressure may be effected. The three wall ports a, b and 0 are shown spaced angularly apart by three units of spacing from c tob and one unit from b to w; while, the five valve ports are shown spaced respectively by one angular unit from 'v to w, two units from w to a}, one unit from a: to y and one unit from y to 2, whereby the five selective combinations of wall and valve ports are available as will be more fully described.

The rotary valve 31 is shown as pinned to a'rotarystem 32 which extends centrally through the control chamber and thence through an aperture --in the front wall 23. In order to maintain the valve under suitable contacting pressure against the wall or seat 21 there is shown a coilspring 33 surrounding a sleeve 34 on the stem 32 and arran ed to bear forwardly against the hub of t e valve, to maintain. resilient pressure. This liquid tight pressure is reenforced by the pressure of the liquid itself and wit flatly machined contacting surfaces the tightness of the fitting is adequate to. pre- I vent any disadvantageous leakage.

The exterior or rear end of the valve stem 32 is shown as carrying a notched disk 35 assisting to position the valve as Willfbe described, and at its extreme end the stem is squared at 36 and operatively engaged in a square aperture in the rear end of the rotary barrel or cylinder'37 of a lock of conventional type.

dash 15 and the spider 27, and a series of tumblers 39 is indicated controlled in the usual manner by a flat key 40. This key is insertible in the No. 1 position to be described and can only be removed in that position. On the front end of the lock barrel isshown an index or pointer 41 indicating the position in which the apparatus is adjusted, and this may carry a finger piece 42 which the user may contact with his finger when turning the key to assist the adjusting movements.

The lockbarrel turns .within a casing 38 mounted fixedly in the The dial 29 is marked with a series of index numbers 30 corresponding with the intended positions of the rotary valve. For example the dial may be marked with the designations,1, 2, 3, ,4 and 5, al-

though descriptive designations could be substituted. Each of these five positions of the pointer is intended to correspond with one of the adjustment indicated respectively in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 as will be ex lained later.

he positioning disk 35 is shown as cooperating with a spring 44 supported on a stud 45 and bearing against a roller 46. The disk rotates with the valve stem and has five notches corresponding with the five designated positions, the spring snapping into each notch and in fact tending to turn the disk valve until accurately adjusted to bring the cooperating ports into line.

This completes the enumeration of the brake valve ,controllingparts. Before describing their action there will be described on the. disk 35 on'the valve stein. This brush is grounded as indicated and is adapted to swing around with the valve stem into from the contact 50 to complete the circuit.

The wires 56 and 57 are not shown extended to their final positions as their connections will be understood. When the brush 49 is in contact upon the stri 50 the circuit will be go closed and the ignition operative. Fig. 2

shows the strip out of contact, but in dotted lines shows it in contact.

WVhen the braking system has been set for the operation of onl one of the rear brakes it is desirable that t iis condition shall make itself known so that the adjustment will not' accidentally be allowed to remain afterthe emergency has passed. For this purpose an audible or other alarm 59 is shown as connected up in circuit as follows. It is connected with the wire 55 by a wire 60, and connected by wire 61 with the contact strip 51. From this it will be clear that when-. ever the brush 49 is in contact with the strip 51 the alarm 59 will continue to sound, thus warning the driver to change the adjustment after the emergency.

By way of describing the operation of the fixed andmovable ports controlling the brakes it will first be noticed that the ports have a articular angular spacing. While --"this mig t be varied withinthe scope of the invention the following preferred'a'rrangement is shown. The fixed ports 0: and b are spaced 45 apart while the port o is diametrically opposite the porta. On the rotary valve. disk the ports '0 and w are 45 apart. The ports w and a: are 90 apart. The ports w and y are 45 apart az-d so are may give the following adjustments.

Position 1, as shown in Fig. 7 causes the closing of all-of the ports. That is to say the movable or valve rts are in each case out of line with the xed ports leading reslpectively to the right rear, the left rear and the ports y and z. The successive positions.

Inposition2, as shown in Fig. 8, the valve disk has been rotated. through 22 The valve ortsw, y and 2 have now come in line with the fixed ports a, b and a1 respectively. In other words by turning the key from position 1 to position 2, as seen in Fig. 6, all of the ports and pipe lines to the several: brakes will open and the brakes thereby rendered operative. The ignition is still inoperative. This permits the full brakin of the vehicle when the i ition is ofi.

11 position 3, as shown in i 9, the valve has been turnedthrough an a ditional 45.

All three ports are. still open so that all ofi the brakes are operative. The brush 49 in this'position has come around into contact with thestrip 50, renderin the ignition opera-tive. This is the norma driving position.

In position 4, as shown in Fig. 10, valve port a: has come over fixed port a leading to the right rear brake whereas the other fixed ports are closed. Thus the i ition remains operative, while only the rig t rear brake is operative. wheel has dropped into a slippery place,

'with a tendency to s in, the pointer can be set to position 4 an the brake pedal depressed, thus a plying the right rear brake to'hold the rig t rear wheel and permit the vehicle to be driven forward at low gear by the le ft rear wheel.

POL-.l'lOIl 5 involves a further shift of 45 and in this position the fixed port I; is in alinment with the valve port w while the.

other fixed ports are closed. This enables the left rear wheel to be braked and the car. driven by the right rear wheel. In both positions-4 and 5 the brush 49 is in contact with the strip 52 so that the alarm 59 continuously issues a buzzing sound, warning the operator to restore the pointer to positionl3 as soon as normal conditions are restored.

The value of the resent improvement is manifold. At the -o. 1 position, in which the key is inserted and extracted, the ignition is inoperative and the service brakes are out of service. This gives a double check against stealing of the car. It would be diflicult to drive without the use of the service brakes. The car would be difiicult to sell without entire replacement of the control parts. Another advantage is that the user is not-likely to omit removing the key when parking the vehicle as he would be in the case of a key not controlling the For normal operation of the vehicle-theindex will stand at position 3 in which the ignition and brakes are fully operative. From here the adjustment can easily set back to position 2 when-it is desired In case the right rear 45 cooperate with a; plurality of wa enough to retard the freewheel sufliciently to give the desired traction on the other wheel. The operation is very fully controllable and as the car comes forward the braking pressure can be let up at will; By this arrangement a car can frequently be brought out of difiiculty under its own power where otherwise it might have to be hauled out.

For the purposes of claim the pedal operated pump may be described as a hydraulic ressure means, the distributing vessel 20 ing interposed in the pipe system to receive the liquid from the and having a wall within exits or ports for d the respective branch pipes leading to the hydraulic motors of the brakes; In one aspect this invention involves a rotary valve disk or circular plate engaging theported wall, having ports for controlling the flow, and 'an exterior means for selective adjustment of the disk to the different positions. The disk has an axial' stem extending through theliquid in the vessel and through the opposite wall to the exterior adjusting means, with spring means pressing the disk to the ported wall.

It will be noted that the three wall'ports are alined with each other while the five ports on the rotary disk or' slide valve are 0 alined with each other and with thewall ports, the alinement being circularin accordance with the adjusting movement of the slide or disk. This arrangement permits a relatively small number of valve orts to namely in the illustrated case a total o i five valve ports give all the required control of three wall ports. This result is attained by the illustrated arrangement of the several ports as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and Figs. to 11. Taking 45 as the angular unit of spacing, although. a different unit might be used, the arrangement may be described as involving three wall ports spaced angularly by three units between ports 0 and b and one unit between ports band a, while the valve ports are'spaced apart by one unit between ports 0 and w, two units between ports w and .22, one unit between ports 0 a: and y, and one unit between ports 3 and z. This gives the five selective adjustments as described, two of which are operatively the same but differentiated by difierent controls of the ignition circuit. The brush 49 and the strip 50 may be liquid pipes including branches to t consideredas contacts for making and breaking the ignition circuit, these being oper-' ated by connections from the valve adjusting means for making the circuit in all of the driving adjustments,'but breaking it at certain adjustments, namely in one-adjustment wherein all of the wheel brakes are operative and in another adjustment wherein all of the brakes are inoperative. The described lock and key for the adjusting means is such that the latter is inoperative'or nonadjustable while the key is disengaged and wherein the key is disengageable on y in an adjustment wherein all of the brakes are in operative and preferably when the'ignition circuit is broken.

It will be noted that the described apparatus is in no particular delicate vor subject to breakage. It is not such as to cause any interference with the conventional operation 85 and the usual reliability of h draulic brakes.- The present invention there ore is an addition or supplement to existing ap aratuses, giving added facilities without etracting from the existing advanta es.

There has thus been escribed a motor vehicle control system embodying the rinciples andattaining the advantages 0 the present invention. l'Many matters of combination, coordination, arrangement, operation and construction may bevariously modified without departing from the principles of the invention and therefore it is not intended tolimit the invention to such matters exce t so far as specified in the appended c aims.

What is-claimed is: W

In a motor vehicle having wheel brakes and hydraulic motors actuating them, a control system having a hydraulic pressure means operable at will and a systgof hydraulic motors actuating the res tive wheel brakes, and in combination with said pressure means and ipe system a distributing vessel interposed in the pipe system to receive the liquid from" the pressure means for quick actuation of the motors and to return the liquid to the vessel upon release, said vessel having a wall with alined exit ports for the respective branch pipes, a rotary disk valve movable at will into selected adjustments in contact against the ported wall and having ports alined with each other and with the wall ports for controlling the liquid flow into the respective exit ports, the wall ports and valve ports being in circular alinement, and ar anged with three wall ports spaced apart ngularly by three units and one unit respectively, and five valve ports spaced apart by one unit, two units, one unit and one unit respectively, whereby five selective combinations of port communications are available:v

JOHN J. GARDNE/R. "no 

